1st Floor, University of Reading Library, Whiteknights, PO Box 223, Reading, RG6 6AE
( 0118 378 4242/4614 : www.reading.ac.uk/library/study-advice twitter: @unirdg_study
Please note that I now work part-time and am not usually on campus on Mondays.
My first reaction is to get rid of thoughts that involve language such as “academic integrity training” and start think of developing the students’ ability to work with other people’s ideas!
Andy
Andy Gillett
From: learning development in higher education network [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
On Behalf Of Stephen Gow
Sent: 24 March 2017 15:01
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Integrity & Critical friendships advice
Dear Learning Developers,
I have had an interesting query from a member of our Philosophy department and before I got back to him, I wondered if I could pick your brains on the matter.
We try our best with the academic integrity training at the University, however I still find that rather than being excited by the research and writing process that students are afraid of plagiarism and collusion, which can have a distinct impact on them. I must say, that I do try my best to educate staff and students about this but you still get the odd staff member using the fire and brimstone approach to plagiarism which doesn't help. When combined with the increasingly competitive and instrumental atmosphere, and the transitional stresses of adapting to University pedagogy and life, students may not form the 'critical friendships' (my Philosophy colleague's term) with their peers in which they are involved in deep discussions about the concepts they are studying.
In my sessions with philosophy students and also highlighted by the staff member, the students express their concerns about plagiarism and also collusion. In philosophy in particular, the line of authorship and originality are even more blurred than in other subjects. Therefore students are afraid to discuss the ideas in the course, particularly when related to assignments, with each other. I find that while writing may be the form of assessment, that speaking is just as important to develop ideas. I think this is well addressed in theory, particularly in the discourse on academic integrity however, in practice getting the balance between awareness of misconduct and awareness of what to do, as Bretag et al have pointed out, is increasingly difficult.
Questions:
What strategies do you use at your institution or in your department to help find a balance between students understanding plagiarism and feeling free to discuss ideas and course knowledge with other students?
Can you recommend any good resources/exercises to help with this?
Kind regards,
Stephen
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Stephen Gow
Academic Integrity Coordinator
Academic Support Office
Harry Fairhurst Building, Room LFA/132
University of York
Heslington
YORK
YO10 5DD
01904 321135